Yodel-aye-hee-hoo!

"An Austrian went yodeling on a mountain top high, when along came a Jersey cow interrupted his cry. . ." A classic camp song that has been stuck in my head the entire time I have been visiting the beautiful country of Austria.

During this adventure I have felt incredibly blessed to be a small part of this continent of Europe. I am thankful for this opportunity as so many people do not get to see beyond their own comfort zone.
"There's too much world and not enough time to see it all"
_ I watched the mountains grow larger as we drove through Switzerland on our way to Austria this amazing realization crossed my mind.

The road to Fort Valley, Virginia would seem like a short stroll in the park after the mountains I have zig-zagged up and down here. My favorite landmark we visited was the White Lake. The water was crystal as it tumbled down the mountain, melting from the glaciers. The lake looked as if a mermaid could pop out of the water any minute. There was a magicalness away from reality that enveloped me in it's beauty.

In my short time here we saw snow glaciers, listened to a German marching band, took a tour of a castle built in the 1200's, went mountain biking for 15 miles (which made me feel more alive than I have felt in years), rode on a cable car for the first time, went down the Fiss Flitzer (which was a terrifyingly wonderful experience), and visited Samnauen, Switzerland and Reschen, Italy.

I have settled into the embrace of these large mountainous rocks. I can only imagine how exposed I will feel when I return to the Netherlands this weekend. I love being able to look out the window and see into a deep valley and look for miles to see mountain top after mountain top surrounding me.

Pieter and I hope to make coming to this part of Europe a tradition for our anniversary. We'll see where life takes us! For now_ Farewell Austria, I hope to visit you again in the coming years!

Austrian mountains

The White Lake 

The hike around White Lake

Snowy mountain tops in Italy

Church tower in Italy

To Germany!

Through the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Germany we made it to Rickenbach, Germany on Saturday afternoon. It was surreal for me to ride through those foreign countries. While most of the sights were open fields, mountain ranges, and roads, we did pass a beautiful castle in the distance and some French and Swiss homes that are unique and adorable like little doll houses. My mind kept thinking about how I had seen movies filmed in these countries and as a child how I had read story books about them. Swiss cheese, German chocolate cake, Belgian waffles, and French fries_ it is so much more than all that!

After being in the flat Netherlands for a month, it was strange to drive up a steep mountain into a place that looked similar to my home. Surrounded by mountains and gorgeous open fields brings me comfort. The village we are staying in is built on a hill. Any walk you take includes some cardio. The architecture in the buildings makes it difficult, for me, as a tourist, to not stop and take pictures.

So far, we have ventured off on a few hikes up in the mountain of Totenbuhl. There are patchy forests with tall trees and then vast open fields that are perfect for reenacting 'The Sound of Music' opening scene. The sky seems more blue here, the air fresher, and the grass greener. Pictures cannot even express the beauty found here.

The village below

This beautiful tree was planted after the 30 years war. A 367 year old tree! 

German homes

Beginning our hike, one of many hills!